NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The Carleton College softball team celebrated Senior Day with a sweep of visiting Gustavus Adolphus College. The Knights claimed the opener 6-0 before rallying late to win the season finale, 8-7.
Prior to the opener, Carleton (14-26, 8-14 MIAC) recognized the four seniors on the roster:
Morgan Arnold,
Paige Arnold,
Ella Collins, and
Bryanna Schaffer.
"It was a great day and senior send off," said Carleton head coach
Amy Erickson. "We wish them all the best as they embark on the next chapter.
"Another fabulous team effort," Erickson said. "Game one showed off some stellar baserunning and another fantastic start from
Becca Madsen. Game two revealed the Knights' toughness and fight and resulted in another gritty team win. To end the season with a four-game win streak is certainly something so savor and build on."
Game 1 — Carleton 6, Gustavus 0
The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fourth inning.
Adriana Wiggins led off with a line drive single and later scored on
Grace Colburn's two-out single through the right side.
After a one-out double in the top of the fifth,
Rachel Block took over in the circle for
Madsen and escaped a first and third, one-out jam by coaxing a foul out and a strikeout.
The Knights put the game out of reach in the bottom of the frame.
Samantha Rodriguez singled and raced home via
Megan Smith's double to left center. After a groundout, Smith stole third and waltzed home after the throw went into left field. Schaffer walk and Wiggins picked up her second hit of the day to set the stage for
Jade Thach's three-run blast over the left field wall, the first roundtripper of her career.
Block escaped a bases-loaded jam in the sixth and worked a scoreless ninth for her second save of the year. Madsen moved to 2-2 on the year with a career-best 4.1 innings of two-hit ball.
Wiggins and
Esme Song both went 2-for-3 to pace the Knights' offense.
Game 2 — Carleton 8, Gustavus 7
The Knights leads of 1-0 and 4-1 slip away before a late comeback resulted in an 8-7 triumph.
Carleton took advantage of two Gustie errors to plate a run in the bottom of the second, but the visitors evened the score with a two-out tally in the third.
The Knights regained the lead with three runs in the third inning. Carleton two walks and a hit batter loaded the bases before
Natasha Paez was hit by a pitch to force home a run. With two out, Rodriguez plated a pair with a single that gave the hosts a 4-1 lead.
Two Carleton miscues in the top of the fourth led to a three-run rally by the Gusties. Pinch hitter Marah Hulke delivered a two-out two-run triple before coming home on a throwing error.
The visitors took their first lead of the day with three more two-out runs in the fop of the fifth. Macy Lembke had an RBI double before Paige Gritzmaker produced a two-run single that gave the Gusties a 7-4 lead.
The Knights still trailed by three when they came to bat in the bottom of the sixth. Rodriguez singled, Smith walked, and Schaffer singled to load the bases with one out. Wiggins delivered a two-run single, and Colburn followed with a two-out two-run hit that pushed Carleton back in front, 8-7.
Gustavus (19-21, 9-14 MIAC) got a pair of runners aboard in the seventh, but Schaffer cut down the lead runner on a groundball for the second out, and Collins fielded another grounded and stepped on third base for the forceout, ending the game and closing the season.
Sydney Trentman made the start for Carleton, permitting seven runs (four earned) over 4.2 innings. Block tossed another 2.1 scoreless innings to pick up the win in relief.
Smith and Rodriguez had 2-for-3 days at the plate.
Schaffer finished her time donning the maize and blue as Carleton's career record holder in games played (149), games started (149), at bats (478), hits (186), doubles (42), and RBI (102). She is also top-10 in total bases (263, 2nd); runs scored (100, 3rd); slugging percentage (.550, 4th); batting average (.389, 6th); home runs (7, 6th); on-base percentage (.424, 7th); and triples (7, t-9th).
